Sedeveria x Echeveria hybrid plant named ‘Lilac Mist’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Sedeveria  cultivar named ‘Lilac Mist’ is disclosed, characterized by a compact and chunky morphology which can fill a 9 cm pot with a single vegetative cutting. Grey-green foliage with distinctive violet blush. Suitability for combining with other ornamental plants. The new variety would typically be useful as container a plant or as landscape plants.

Latin name of the genus and species: Sedeveria x Echeveria hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘LILAC MIST’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar, Sedeveria ‘Lilac Mist’, is the product of a planned breeding program. The new variety originated from a cross pollination of the proprietary, unpatented, seed parent, Sedeveria ‘Sed 09’ with the pollen parent, an unpatented, proprietary variety of Echeveria referred to as ‘Lei 12’. The cross pollination was made during February 2012 in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse. The new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ was discovered by the inventor, Renee O'Connell, in September 2013, in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ was first performed in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse, by terminal vegetative cuttings in Fall of 2013. Sedeveria ‘Lilac Mist’ has since produced multiple generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘LILAC MIST’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘LILAC MIST’ as a new and distinct Sedeveria x Echeveria cultivar:

-   -   1. ‘Lilac Mist’ exhibits a compact and chunky morphology that         can fill 9 cm pot with single cutting.     -   2. ‘Lilac Mist’ has silver blue leaves, overlaid with a pink to         violet blush, particularly in bright light.     -   3 ‘Lilac Mist’ is extremely prolific when produced by leaf         culture, or “leaflings”, enhancing production quantities at a         faster rate.     -   4. ‘Lilac Mist’, because of its subtle, attractive coloration         and interesting morphology is a perfect accent for succulent         groupings or dish gardens

PARENTAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ are similar to the seed parent in most horticultural characteristics. However, plants of the new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ differ in the following:

-   -   1. ‘Lilac Mist’ blushes rose to violet on apical portions of         leaves, whereas ‘Sed 09’ does not.     -   2. ‘Lilac Mist’ produces stems that have a greater diameter than         those of ‘Sed 09’.     -   3. ‘Lilac Mist’ has partially flat leaves, whereas ‘Sed 09’ has         rounded leaves.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ are similar to the pollen parent, in most horticultural characteristics. However, the new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ differs the following:

-   -   1. ‘Lilac Mist’ has a more upright morphology than does         Echeveria ‘Lei 12’.     -   2. ‘Lilac Mist’ blushes rose to violet on the apical tips of the         leaves, whereas ‘Lei 12’ does not.     -   3. Echeveria ‘Lei 12’ produces leaves with round apices, whereas         ‘Lilac Mist’ produces leaves with sharply pointed apices.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

The new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ can be compared to the unpatented commercial variety Sedum ‘Burrito’. Plants of the new variety can be commercially compared to this Sedum, as they are similar in some horticultural characteristics. However, the new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. ‘Lilac Mist’ expresses a rose to violet blush on the apical         tips of the leaves, whereas Sedum ‘Burrito’ does not.     -   2. ‘Lilac Mist’ grows with a more upright morphology, whereas         Sedum ‘Burrito’ forms stems that are more pendulous.     -   3. ‘Lilac Mist’ produces much thicker stems than does Sedum         ‘Burrito’.     -   4. The leaves of Sedum ‘Burrito’ are easily detached from the         stem, whereas the leaves of ‘Lilac Mist’ are not easily detached         from the stem.     -   5. The overall color of the foliage of Sedum ‘Burrito’ is pale         blue-green, whereas the foliage of ‘Lilac Mist’ is silver-blue,         with violet overtones.

The new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ can be compared to the unpatented commercial variety Sedeveria x Echveria ‘Harry Butterfield’. Plants of this comparator are similar to plants of the new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, the new cultivar ‘Lilac Mist’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. ‘Lilac Mist’ produces much thicker stems than ‘Harry         Butterfield’.     -   2. ‘Lilac Mist’ expresses a rose to violet blush on the apical         tips of the leaves, whereas ‘Harry Butterfield’ does not.     -   3. ‘Lilac Mist’ grows with a more upright morphology, whereas         ‘Harry Butterfield’ forms stems that are more pendulous.     -   4. The overall color of the foliage of ‘Harry Butterfield’ is         blue-green, whereas the foliage of ‘Lilac Mist’ is silver-blue,         with violet overtones.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate in full color typical plants of ‘LILAC MIST’ grown in a greenhouse in Vista, Calif. The photographs were taken using conventional techniques and equipment. While the colors in these photographs may display variances of color as compared to the living cultivar, due to LRV (light reflectance value), they are as accurate as possible using conventional photographic techniques. Colors in the photographs may appear to differ slightly from the color values cited in the botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Sedeveria x Echveria plant. The following photographs depict plants grown under natural light conditions of 2500-4000 foot-candles. Temperatures ranged from 34° F. to 90° F. night and day. No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemical treatments were given to the plants. Plants are approximately 6 months old from a vegetative cutting.

FIG. 1 illustrates in full color a typical of plant of ‘Lilac Mist’ with a single rosette.

FIG. 2 illustrates in full color of plant of ‘Lilac Mist’ with a secondary rosette forming.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘Lilac Mist’ plants in a commercial greenhouse in Vista, Calif. Temperatures ranged from 34° F. to 90° F. night and day. No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemical treatments were given to the plants. Natural light conditions were approximately 2500-4000 foot candles of light. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Sedeveria x Echeveria hybrid ‘LILAC MIST’.

PROPAGATION

-   Type of propagation typically used: Terminal vegetative cuttings. -   Time to initiate roots: About 14 days at approximately 24° C. -   Root description: Fibrous.

PLANT

-   Age of plant described: Approximately 4 months. -   Container size of the plant described: 9 cm. -   Growth habit: Densely rosette plant. -   Height: Approximately 10.5 cm to top of highest leaf. -   Plant spread: Approximately 11 cm. -   Growth rate: Rapid. -   Branching characteristics: No branches, offsets occurring frequently     after 3 months. -   Center stem: Approximately 1.8 cm in diameter and 6 cm high. Colored     near Greyed-Green 193D. Glabrous.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Rosulate. Very evenly and densely arranged.         -   Average length.—Average range 3.0 cm to 5.0 cm.         -   Average width.—1.6 cm.         -   Average depth.—7 mm.         -   Widest width.—Approximately 12 cm.         -   Width at base.—1.1 cm.         -   Shape of blade.—Obovate.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate to near apiculate. Pointed structure at apex             appears sharp, but, is fleshy and not sharp to the touch.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture of top surface.—Slightly glaucous.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Slightly glaucous.         -   Appearance of top surface.—Matte.         -   Appearance of top surface.—Matte.         -   Quantity of leaves per plant.—Approximately 50 to 70 on a             plant this age.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near RHS Greyed-Green 193A,             center 194C. Young foliage under side: Near RHS Greyed-Green             193A, center 194C. Faintly flushed a color between             Greyed-Purple N187C and 186C along upper ⅓. Mature foliage             upper side: Near RHS Greyed-Green 192D, flushed over entire             surface with Greyed-Purple N187C. Margins flushed 187C and             186D. Apex 193A. Base near Greyed-Green 193D, center 194C.             Mature foliage under side: Near RHS Greyed-Green 192D,             flushed over entire surface with Greyed-Purple N187C. Upper             ⅓ flushed 187C and 186D. Apex 193A. Base near Greyed-Green             193D, center 194C.         -   Venation.—There is no visual appearance of venation.

FLOWER

-   Not observed to date.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Not observed to date.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS:

-   Fruits and seeds: Not observed to date. -   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from approximately     −2° C. to at least 35° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance or susceptibility to     normal diseases and pests of Sedeveria or Echeveria has been     observed. -   Drought tolerance: Tolerates at least 3 weeks of high temperatures     without supplemental water, showing no serious damage to plant. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Sedeveria x Echeveria plant named ‘LILAC MIST’ as herein illustrated and described. 